HÀ NỘI A portrait of national football team coach Park Hang-seo has been sold for US$12,000 during an auction at Chọn Auction House in Hà Nội, with the entire sum going to charity.

The buyer of the painting on Sunday also donated an extra $9,500 for charity.

Entitled Người Thầy Của Tôi (My Teacher), the oil painting was finished last December by artist Trần Thế Vĩnh before the Vietnamese team entered the final of the AFF Championship.

Vĩnh said he had read a lot about the South Korean coach and decided to paint him with his his hand on his chest and singing the Vietnamese national anthem. The red colour behind him evokes Vietnamese national flag.

“I think the image thoroughly expresses the strong temper, courage and sense of responsibility of the Korean coach. I painted with my affection and respect for teacher Park,” Vĩnh said.

In an auction held last year on December 30, the painting's starting was bought by Swisstouches La Luna Resort Nha Trang for $10,500, all of which also went to charity.

Swisstouches La Luna Resort Nha Trang decided to auction the painting to raise more funds for charity. It was sold to Nguyễn Phan Huy Khôi, chairman of Bảo Ninh Investment Co., Ltd. and all the money fetched from the auction, in addition to Khôi’s additional donation, will be donated to the Vietnam Heart Fund of Vietnam Television Station.

Khôi expressed his happiness for having won the painting and his family’s wish to support those less fortunate in society by donating to the Vietnam Heart Fund.

Artist Trần Thế Vinh was born in 1986 in the central province of Quảng Trị. A graduate of Huế Fine Arts University, he opened his first solo exhibition Untitled in 2012. He won the Dogma Award for Self-portrait in 2013.

Under the guidance of coach Park, Vietnamese football teams have obtained many achievements, including winning the championship of AFF Suzuki Cup 2018, finished seconnd at the AFC U23 CHampionships in 2018 and winning the Southeast Asian Games earlier this month. VNS